High Water

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In 2002 there was a terrible flood in Prague. The Vltava overflowed its banks, flooding much of the old city and filling the subway lines with water. There are painted marks on many buildings showing the high point of the flood.

Currently Prague is under a flood watch. The Vltava is at flood stage, the waters right at the edge of the river banks. The city has erected aluminum walls, designed to act as flood walls, along much of the river within the city. The high water is a result of rapid snow melt and heavy rain. We head a rumor that the subways system is to be closed today for fear of floodwaters flowing into and filling the tunnels that run under the river. We surely hope and pray that does not happen.

People who live near the river are very fearful of the great flood of 2002 being repeated this spring. One young man we know said he, and we think his parents, borrowed money to repair their home after the 2002 flood. They are still repaying the loan and now there is the possibility their home will be damaged by high waters again.

While Prague has escaped the flooding of buildings so far, this is not true in other areas of the Czech Republic. Pictures on the news show towns and cities under water, people conoeing through the streets as the waters roll through. Prague is not out of the woods yet at the snow continues to melt in the higher elevations.

-We didn't publish this the day it was written. Prague is still holding it's collective breath and many are praying for mercy from this flood which is really ruining many parts of Germany, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Still today the city is mostly spared. There seems to be a little rain each day instead of the torrents people feared from the weather report. This time everyone is glad the weatherman is wrong.

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Photos

Looking Down the Vltava River From the Charles Bridge.
The water is covering part of the sign for the Franz Kafka Museum. Notice to the left of the sign that water is being pumped back into the river from an area which has already been flooded.

Part of the Aluminum Wall Protecting Prague
The wall may leak some water, but it is nothing like what would happen without it being there.

Looking Upriver From the Charles Bridge
The ripple running across the river is usually a six to ten foot drop for the water. Now is is merely a ripple.

Buildings in Danger
Normally the water is six to ten feet below the peak of the arches.

Comments

[Ellen and Jonathan]

flood woes
We of course saw the '02 flood water levels when we were there and could imagine how terrible it must have been. We sure hope you are right, that the worse will NOT actually happen. We are enjoying your blogs, especially when they are about places and things that we know first hand. Ellen